course phy 202
6/13 7
Experiment 1: Measuring Temperature with an Uncalibrated ThermometerUsing an uncalibrated thermometer and a ruler we measure the temperatures of freezing and boiling water and room temperature. Using the linearity of the Celsius scale and appropriate assumptions about thermometer we infer the Celsius temperature of the room.
In this experiment you will use an uncalibrated thermometer (one with no marks on it) and a ruler to obtain reasonably accurated indications of temperatures according to different temperature scales.
Given an uncalibrated thermometer and a plastic ruler, obtain a sample of ice water and a sample of boiling water and demonstrate that the temperature of the ice water is less than that of the boiling water, and that the temperature of your room lies between that of ice water and of boiling water.
• The ice water should have approximately equal parts ice and water, and should be stirred constantly during the measurement of temperature.
• The boiling water should be actively boiling, or should have been actively boiling within a couple of seconds before the temperature is observed.
• The plastic ruler should not be permitted to contact the boiling water.
• You should give quantitative data to support your contention that the temperature of the boiling water is greater than that of the ice water.
• Explain why you think that your conclusions follow from your observations. This explanation should not be based on the assumption that thermometers go up when temperature goes up. You should explain what is going on in the thermometer and how this is related to what we call temperature.
When the temperature is increased then the liquid inside the thermometer expands which causes it to rise in a linear path up the thermometer. When the thermometer is placed in the ice water it is at a height of 0cm and an approximate temperature of 0 degrees C or 32 degrees F. When the thermometer is placed in the boiling water it is at a height of 13cm and an approximate temperature of 100 degrees C or 212 degrees F.
If you assume that the temperature of the ice water was 0 Celsius while that of the boiling water was 99 Celsius (as is the approximately the case at the elevation of VHCC), then what do your data indicate is the Celsius temperature of the room?
• How did you use your data to get your result?
The change in temperature is 100 and the change in position is 13. By dividing 100/13 you can estimate the temperature at a certain height. The position at room temperature is 3.5 cm so by doing a simple calculation (100/13)*3.5 you find that room temperature is approximately 27 degrees C.
• What assumptions did you make to get your result?
I assumed that the temperature of the ice water was 0 degrees C and the temperature of the boiling water was 100 degrees C.
If you assume that the temperature of the ice water was 32 Fahrenheit while that of the boiling water was 210 Fahrenheit (as is the approximately the case at the elevation of VHCC), then what do your data indicate is the Fahrenheit temperature of the room?
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Good. Though this experiment was not assigned on the Assignments page, I'll certainly give you credit for having done it.
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